Meddling Kids: Chan Clan 500
by Ellis97
Summary: The tiebreaker has finally come to Honolulu. What's more exciting is that the Arabian Prince Hareem is coming to the race with Charlie as his police escort. When the prince goes missing before the race, the Chan Clan must find out what has happened to him, since his folks have a very special announcement to make.
1. The Prince Arrives

It was another day in Honolulu as Stanley and Henry Chan met up with Tinker, Mark and Debbie in the garage to work on Speed Buggy.

"Sp-so-sp-Hey! Watch the engine!" Speedy sputtered.

"Sorry Speedy, but we gotta get you all gussied up for the big race tomorrow, and you're gonna win!" Tinker said.

"Easier for you to sp-sp-sp-say when you're not the one whose parts are being touched by multiple hands!" Speedy rolled its eyes.

"Well we have to make you like you just got off an assembly line." said Henry. "This is the biggest race of the season and we will become the first rookies to win the Wacky Cup."

"Plus, that dreamy Arabian Prince Hareem will be attending as well." Debbie added.

"Not to mention, my pop is his police escort." Stanley added. "So, I really wanna make a good impression on a blue blood."

"Sp-sp-sp-fine, okay." Speedy pouted.

Tinker then was just about finished. "And...there! All fixed up!"

"We're done?" Speedy asked.

"Yep!" Tinker nodded. "Go ahead and try out your new upgrades, Speedy!"

"Sp-sp-sp-okay." Speedy nodded.

Speedy then started zooming all around the block faster than he ever could before.

"S-s-say! This is p-p-p-pretty cool!" He said.

"I knew you'd like it, buddy." said Tinker.

"Good thing too." said Mark. "We have to get to the racetrack to practice for tomorrow."

The gang got into Speedy and drove to the raceway. Along the way, Speedy decided to test out some of his features. He then did something, which activated some kind of rocket boosters on his back.

"Wham bam! Look at that!" Stanley exclaimed.

"Sp-sp-sp-hang on, everybody." Speedy said as his rocket boosters went off and the gang started zooming right to the stadium, where the other two racers were waiting for them. "Sp-sp-sp-sp-ZOOM!"

* * *

While that was occurring, Suzie and the rest of the Chan Clan were at home waiting for their father to return.

"Boy, Henry and Stanley sure have been gone a long time." said Flip. "I hope they come back to make lunch for us."

"Yeah, I can't wait for them on an empty stomach." Nancy added.

"Nancy, you can't do anything when your stomach is empty." Scooter laughed.

"I'm sure you can't either." Nancy rolled her eyes.

Just then, someone came at the door. It was their father.

"Hello children." He said.

"Hey pop! Whatcha doing home so early?" asked Scooter.

"I'm guessing you're taking a lunch break?" Tom asked.

"Actually, I'm here on business." Charlie explained. "How know that prince I'm supposed to escort to race tomorrow? Well, the hotel he's staying at lost his reservations, so I'm letting him stay here with us for the night."

"A prince? Here? Like from a magical kingdom?" asked Mimi.

"From a kingdom, yes." Charlie deadpanned. "But not magical."

"When's he supposed to arrive, pop?" asked Alan.

"He should be arriving any second now..." said Charlie.

Just then, a limousine with an Arabian flag on it arrived in front of the house.

"Gee, that was fast." Charlie remarked.

He opened the door and there were two men and a young man around Suzie's age. The first one played some sort of fanfare on a long horn.

"And introducing his royal majesty, Prince Hareem Jogia XIV!" said the royal advisor.

The young man then stepped forward to Charlie.

"Greetings Prince Hareem." Charlie bowed to the young monarch. "It is a pleasure to have you here."

"The pleasure's mine, Lieutenant." Hareem replied.

"Please, do come in." said Charlie.

Hareem walked into the house and observed the place.

"I must admit, this is not exactly the castle or any ritzy hotel, but I suppose it'll do." said the prince.

"I'm glad you feel that way, young prince because there are some shady characters who might poach you for ransom before the race tomorrow." said Charlie. "Children! Come here and meet the prince!"

Suzie and the others walked over to the front door to meet the prince.

"Ummm...hello." Tom said awkwardly when the prince turned towards them.

"Zowie! A real prince in our house!" Mimi awed.

"Yeah, he's really dreamy." Nancy added.

Anne rolled her eyes. "Big deal. I've seen better looking goblins."

"Anne! Don't be rude!" Alan elbowed his sister.

The prince cleared his throat. "Well, it is a pleasure to meet you guys, and I-"

Before he could finish husband greeting, Hareem saw Suzie and he became speechless as he saw her in all her beauty and grace.

"Well...I...uh..." Hareem began to sludder at the sight of Suzie.

"What's wrong with the prince?" Flip whispered to Anne.

"I don't know, but I hope it's nothing fatal." Anne whispered back.

The prince continued to stutter. "I...I...I-I'm...I'm...uh...uh..."

"Prince Hareem! You're Prince Hareem!" the royal advisor whispered into Hareem's ear.

"Uh..." Hareem stuttered for a brief moment before regaining his composure. "...right."

"Nice to meet you, Prince Hareem." Suzie smiled at the prince. "I'm Suzie, and these are my brothers and sisters. It's really great to have you here. I've never met a real prince before."

As she giggled, the other siblings all rolled their eyes.

"Thanks...I've never met a non-royal girl before either..." the prince blushed.

Oh, geez..." Alan thought.

"So, where will I be sleeping?" asked Hareem.

"You can sleep with us in the basement." said Suzie. "I'm sure there's enough room for eight of us."

"A basement? Me? A prince? Sleep in a basement?" Hareem chuckled. "That is very humorous of you, Suzie."

As Suzie and Hareem laughed, the others all looked at each other.

"I don't know what's going on, but it's kind of gross." Scooter remarked.

"Children listen, I am going back to the station with the prince's staff." Charlie said to the kids. "Do not leave the house under any circumstances. It might attract unwanted attention to the prince if he is unguarded."

"Uh...alright, Pops." Alan nodded.

"I'll see you soon." Charlie said as he left with the royal council.

As soon as the adults left, the kids went to greet the prince.

"It's truly an honor to meet you, your highness." said Alan. "We've never had royalty here in Hawaii before."

"Actually Alan, I learned the other day that Hawaii did used to have a queen." Tom corrected his brother.

"Don't be ridiculous." Alan brushed him off. "Next you're gonna be telling me that there is a talking dog on the mainland."

"Anyways, since you're here, why don't I show you around the island?" Suzie asked the prince. "I mean, it is the decent and honorable thing to do."

"Sounds good to me." Hareem nodded.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Suzie." said Alan. "Pop said to stay in the house until he comes back with the prince's guards."

"Don't be such a worrywart, Alan, we'll only be gone for a few minutes." said Suzie. "Shall we go, my liege?"

"Lead the way, Suzie." Hareem said as he and Suzie locked arms.

The other siblings looked at each other.

"I don't know if that's a good idea." Tom said.

"We probably should follow them, just in case." Anne offered.

"Okay, but you guys had better come back soon!" said Alan.

"Don't worry Alan, we will be back faster than you can say, 'End of chapter!'" said Anne.

"Very slowly..." Tom added.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Looks like Suzie and the prince are really fishing for some trouble. Hopefully, this won't lead to any little trouble. Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	2. Suzie Finds Her Prince

While those events were occuring, Henry, Stanley, and their friends finally made it to the stadium, where Di-ck Dastardly, Muttley, and I.Q. were getting ready for the race tomorrow.

"So lets see how Speed Buggy fares when racing on the stadium tracks." Mark said as they arrived at the stadium.

"About time you nonsensical novices arrived! I was beginning to actually worry about you!" Dastardly said to the gang.

"I'm sure you are." Mark deadpanned.

"Well now we can get ready for the race tomorrow!" I.Q. said. "My Uncle, Professor Pat Pending helped me upgrade my car the other day and I've been dying to try it out!"

"I'm sure you will have plenty of opportunities to try it out doing the race, I.Q." Tinker said.

"And not to brag or nothing, but Speedy here has some cool upgrades we recently installed as well." Stanley boasted.

"Oh really? Well why don't we put it to a test by practicing on the racetrack?" suggested I.Q. "We'll see which car is better!"

"Sounds good with me, what do you say, guys?" Debbie asked before turning to the others.

"You betcha!" Stanley gave a thumbs up.

"Count me in!" Mark added.

"Me too!" Henry exclaimed.

"Sp-sp-sp-and us too!" Speedy and Tinker finished.

"Then, what are you guys waiting for?" I.Q. asked. "Let's get moving!"

The two racers got on the track, ready to start their engines.

"I can't wait to see how this turns out." Dastardly smirked.

Muttley snickered at his master's comment.

"Alrighty." Tinker said. "We all set?"

"You bet we are!" I.Q. gave a thumbs up. "Now let's get star-"

"Ivan! Oh Ivan..." a voice called out on his radio.

"Oh no..." I.Q. groaned. "I recognize that call and voice anywhere..."

"What's the matter?" His mother asked through the radio.

"Nothing mother..." I.Q. said innocently.

"You're not trying to drive without me again, are you?" asked I.Q's mother.

"No mother..." I.Q. sighed.

"Then, wait for me so I can make sure that you're driving carefully." She said.

"Yes mother..." I.Q. groaned.

"I'll be right there!" said his mother. I love you, snooky puss."

"I love you too, mommy..." I.Q. groaned.

The other racers started laughing.

"Hoh, boy." Henry remarked.

"Awww poor widdle Brainiac misses his mommy..." Debbie batted her eyelashes.

"Tell me about it." Mark remarked.

Everybody started laughing at I.Q.

"You try being a seven-year-old racer..." the boy genius grumbled as he blushed.

Eventually, I.Q.'s mother arrived to help him drive the car.

"Okay everyone, now we can race." said Henry.

The two cars lined up at the starting line, ready to take off.

Debbie cleared her throat. "On your marks...get set...go!"

The two cars then zoomed across the track, ready to see who would potentially win tomorrow's race.

* * *

Meanwhile, Suzie was taking the prince for a nice tour of the island, not knowing that Anne and Tom were secretly following them.

"I sure wonder what those two are going to do next." Anne whispered to her brother.

"Whatever it is, I'd rather not know." Tom nodded as he whispered back.

"Thank you for showing me around, Suzie." said Hareem. "It's very neat."

"The beach is especially very beautiful." Suzie remarked.

"Like a certain someone whom I just met." Hareem said he held Suzie's hands.

Suzie giggled at the remark. "Tell me about it."

"I had a really great time hanging out, Suzie." Hareem smiled at her. "You know, I really feel like I can be myself with you in this place. I mean the real me, not the person people expect me to be."

"What kind of person would people expect you to be?" asked Suzie. "You're already kind and sweet."

"You know, being the serious type that lives up to the expectations as a royal and living with class." Hareem sighed. "As opposed to the humble feelings I have ever since I arrived at this place."

"Expectations? Does that mean they want you to be mean and serious all the time?" Suzie asked.

Hareem nodded. "But without my guards or being told what to do, I can actually truly slow down and enjoy life. Thank you for showing me that, Suzie."

Suzie giggles and blushed. "Yeah, it's too bad you have to go to the race tomorrow and then go back home."

"Tell me about it." Hareem sighed.

"But I guess that doesn't mean we can't enjoy each others company in the meantime..." Suzie batted her eyelashes.

"Oh...well..." Hareem swallowed.

Suzie then grabbed the prince's cheeks with her hand. "Come here you..."

She leaned in and kissed Hareem's royal lips.

Behind the bushes, Tom and Anne looked with disgust.

"Oh God..." Anne gagged and covered her eyes with her hat.

Tom then took off his glasses. "Gross..."

* * *

Back at the racetrack, the two race cars were speeding down the track.

Both of them were neck in neck, using their turbo boosters to outwit each other.

"You know, it's a good thing there are no rules in this race." Stanley remarked. "Makes the challenge more enjoyable."

"Yeah, sp-sp-so cool." Speedy remarked.

"Mother! Speed up! They're winning!" I.Q. said as he saw the Speed Bugs getting closer to the finish like.

Jun 21"Don't worry, honey." She said. "I've got what we need to catch up."

She then proceeded to press a button on the dashboard.

Jun 21Just then, the jets converted into bigger rockets and zoomed right past the Speed Bugs and right to the finish line.

"Sp-pu-pu-rats!" Speed Buggy stomped his tire as the Icklys crossed the finish line.

"Don't worry, Speedy." Mark said. "This was only a practice run."

"Yeah!" said Henry. "The race is tomorrow. You'll be in top condition by then."

"Speaking of which, we'd better get home, bro." Stanley said as he looked at his watch.

* * *

Meanwhile, Suzie and the prince finally arrived back at the house, walking hand-in-hand. The younger siblings were in the living room, not sure what to do, when the front door opened.

"We're home!" Suzie called out to her brothers and sisters.

"I see you are." said a familiar, stern voice.

It was Charlie and the royal council, and boy were they pretty angry with Suzie and the prince.

"Oh...hi Pop...what brings you here?" Suzie gulped.

"I came back early to get the prince, but I can see that I was a little late to him!" Charlie responded, glaring at the two lovebirds.

"Uh oh..." One of the kids remarked.

"You know perfectly well we told you to stay here at all costs!" the royal advisor sternly told the two teenagers. "You know his majesty can't wander around unsupervised! There could be crooks and bad guys out to get him!"

Charlie nodded. "If the prince ever got into any danger before or during the race, it would cause an international crisis and possibly endanger his kingdom!"

Suzie and the prince shared a look with each other.

"Yes sir..." they said sadly.

"I hope you do understand!" Charlie lectured them. "Now I have to keep a close eye on the prince tomorrow at the race!"

* * *

The very next day, the big race had begun and pretty much all of Hawaii was shut down for this semi-historical event.

"Ho boy!" Mark remarked as they prepared at the stadium. "Look at the crowd."

"Golly! The whole island must be here!" Tinker remarked.

"Yeah, especially if you count the people who snuck in, are watching the game from home, or are currently tailgating outside the stadium." Stanley added.

"I love me some tailgating." Tinker licked his lips.

"This is it, Muttley! The big tiebreaker round!" said Dastardly. "I am going to win this race and become the new champion!"

Muttley growled and bit his master on the arm.

"Okay! WE are going to be the new champion!" Dastardly shook his arm.

"My sweet baby is going to win this race and make momma proud!" Mrs. Ickly said as she started kissing her son.

"Mother..." I.Q. whined. "Not on national television!"

"Anyways, Speedy looks ready for the race." Henry remarked.

"Sp-sp-sp-sp-I sure am!" Speedy used his front wheels to hustle.

Just then, the sportsman's voice came over the speakers. "Welcome everyone to the Hawaii Tiebreaker Race! Brought to you by Flaky Flakes! The only cereal with flaky toppings! And now, here's our hosts, Reginald Livingston Segal and Bob!"

Segal and Bob then made their way to the starting line, waving their hands as the crowd cheered.

"Good afternoon sports fans!" Segal announced. "This is a big event for all of these Hawaiian islands! The whole stadium is packed and people are inside their houses glued to the television!"

"Not to mention, many people have already gone to the bathroom." Bob added. "Now! Let's check out these three lucky wacky racers!"

The scene then shifts to the racers that were preparing at the starting line.

"Our first racer is Dick Dastardly, who's accompanied by his dog Muttely." Bob said as they walked over to Dastardly's car.

"Thank you, thank you, hold your applause, my dear fans." Dastardly boasted.

There was a sound of silence as the two drove to the starting line.

"Ingrates..." Dastardly muttered.

Muttley snickered.

"Next up, is I.Q. Ickly and his mother, Dr. Ivana Ickly in their Graviton 5000!" Segal said as the Icklys hovered over to the starting line.

"Thank you." Ivana smiled as she waved at the crowd.

"Salutations, my dear race fans! I bid thee thanks for coming here to support me and my genius!" I.Q. waved to the crowd.

"Now, now, baby...it doesn't matter if you win or lose, but I just want you to win the race so we can take home the gold, and mommy can gloat about you at work." Ivana said as she rubbed her nose on I.Q's nose.

"Aw...Mom!" I.Q. whined. "Not on TV again!"

"This is what happens when a boy genius is chosen to be a racecar driver." Segal remarked.

"And last up, is Mark Edwards and his Speed Buggy!" Bob finished.

There were some cheers from the crowd as the two broadcasters moved to Speed Buggy and gang.

"Sp-sp-what a crowd." said Speedy.

"Go Henry, Stanley, and Alan!" the rest of the Chan Clan cheered from the audience.

"And now..." The two hosts exclaimed as they returned to the starting line. "With the timer counting down, our racers are preparing for this tie-breaking race."

"But first, we start with our intrepid news anchorwoman, Ms. Heather Jasper Howls singing the Star Spangled Banner!" said Bob. "Take it away, Heather!"

Heather started to sing. "Oh day, can you see..."

"Thanks for that musical interlude, Heather!" Reginald cut her off. "Now racers, to the starting line!"

At that, the racers all raced to the starting line and lined up.

The announcer raised his flag. "On your marks...get set..."

"Stop everything!" a voice suddenly shouted.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it appears we have a slight delay." said Reginald.

The Jumbotron then changed to the image of the prince's royal record keeper.

The crowd all shared looks with each other.

"What's going on?" Stanley asked.

"I have just gotten word that...Prince Hareem has gone missing!" the record keeper screamed. "Which means, we'll have to hold the race until further notice!"

The crowd all gasped in horror.

"Wham bam! We're in a jam!" Stanley exclaimed.

"Finally, a mystery to solve." Henry remarked.

"Bout time too." Alan added.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **You heard it right, folks! We finally have a mystery to solve! What has happened to the prince, and more importantly, will he be saved in time for the race? Stay tuned.**


	3. Finally, a Mystery to Solve

"Of all the days for the prince to get kidnapped, this is the worst!" said the royal record keeper.

"Tell me about it!" Ivana added. "I had a big speech planned for when I...I mean, Ivan wins the race!"

"Well, what should we do?" One of the royal advisers asked.

"No worried royal advisors!" said Flip. "The Amazing Chan Clan will solve this case before you can say, 'Blasted Meddling Kids!'"

"What do you precocious pint-pized punks know about mystery solving?" asked Dastardly.

"Oh joy..." Charlie thought to himself.

"Now where exactly do we start?" asked Scooter.

"Sorry buddy, but this detective work is for adults only." said Henry. "Your brother and I will handle it."

"But what about us? What're we supposed to do?" asked Anne.

"Yeah!" Tom nodded. "You guys can't just let us stand here and do nothing!"

"Sorry guys, but we can't have you amateurs taking any risks." Stanley said. "Come on guys! Time to solve a mystery!"

"Right behind ya buddy!" Tinker exclaimed as he, Debbie, and Mark followed the Chan brothers.

Being left behind, Suzie turned to her siblings.

"Well gang, it looks like we're gonna have to go against our brother's wishes and solve the mystery ourselves." She said to her siblings.

"What are you nuts? Pop, Henry, and Stanley told us to stay here!" Alan reminded his sister.

"That may be, but my prince is out there, and we must save him!" Suzie told them. "I have to save him, and this race is an important historical event for the entire island! So are you with me or not?"

Her younger siblings simply stared at her.

"That's the spirit!" Suzie said as she folded her arms. "Alan, Annie, Tom, you guys are with me. The rest of you stay here and look for clues where it's safe!"

"Uh...okay." Tom said unsurely.

Suzie, Alan, Anne, and Tom then went to investigate.

"Well gang, it looks like we'll have to investigate too." Flip told the others.

"But what can we do? Henry and Stanley are looking for the prince, and Suzie's looking for clues? Name one good way four kids like us could help!" Nancy questioned.

"We can look for some possible suspects." Flip responded. "It could be anyone!"

"Maybe it could be one of the other racers?" suggested Mimi.

But why?" Scooter asked.

"Because little bro, one of them might not have wanted to lose to our brothers, so they probably stopped the race by stealing the prince." Flip explained.

"Sounds like a good reason." Nancy remarked. "Who do you think would do that?"

"Let's see..." Flip pondered. "Whoever did this is someone who is desperate to win this race..."

"Someone who has reason to try to sabotage the race out of his own fear of losing..." Nancy added.

"Someone who is super sneaky and would go to extreme measures so he doesn't have to be humiliated..." Mimi pondered.

Scooter rubbed his chin. "Someone like..."

"I.Q. Ickly!" the kids concluded.

"I knew there was something I didn't like about that little twerp!" Mimi remarked. "Let's get him!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Suzie and the others were continuing with their efforts in finding the missing prince.

"How are we gonna find the prince, Suzie?" asked Alan. "He could be anywhere."

"Well like I said, we need to search for clues, and the best bet is back at our house, where we last saw him." said Suzie.

"You think he might have left something at our house that can tell us where he went?" Tom asked.

"That's what we're about to find out." Suzie replied. "Come on!"

They then headed back home for some evidence.

* * *

At that same time, Henry, Stanley, and their friends were trying to find the prince.

"So where exactly are we going?" Mark asked Henry.

"We're going to look for the prince so we can start the race, Mark." Henry rolled his eyes.

"I know that, but where are we driving? We don't even know where he is." Mark pointed out.

"Yeah. Where exactly are we going?" Tinker added.

"We're following my pop to his office at the station, so we can help him." Henry explained.

"But how can we help?" asked Debbie.

"It's not like we've investigated missing persons before." Mark added.

"Don't worry gang, we've spent a lot of time in pop's office, and we can surely teach you the ropes." Stanley told them. "We've picked up a couple of tricks."

"Guess it's never too late to learn something new." Tinker shrugged.

The gang soon arrived at the police station.

"Here we are gang." said Henry. "Come on, let's get inside."

They went inside the station, where they were greeted by Rosemary, the secretary.

"Oh, hello boys." she said.

"Hey Ms. Rosemary." said Henry.

"If your looking for your father, he's with the sarge, so please don't disturb him." Rosemary said as she adjusted her glasses.

"Alright." Henry nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

Charlie and Sgt. Flint were busy conversing over the matter.

"This is an international crisis, Chan!" Sgt. Flint barked. "The Prince is missing and this could lead to the end of a lot of things!"

"I understand, sergeant." Charlie nodded.

"You were trusted on guarding that prince with your life." said Flint. "When did you last see him?"

"At my home." Charlie said.

"And when was that, exactly?" asked the sarge.

"This morning." Charlie replied.

"And who else was at your home besides yourself, Chan?" The sergeant then asked.

"Just my ten children." Charlie replied.

"And what about the royal adviser?" The sergeant then asked.

"Well, I was on my way to the house to pick up the prince, and when we took him to the limousine, something hit me on the shoulder and I passed out." the advisor explained. "Next thing you know, I was left on the curb, all by myself."

"I see..." The sergeant nodded thoughtfully before turning to Charlie and added, "Well, I want you to get to the bottom of this, Charlie, because last thing we need is an international embarrassment."

"Of course." Charlie nodded.

"Not to mention that I don't think you need to be reminded on how much the chief dislikes having the feds on our heels when something like this happens." The sergeant continued. "Because if the feds hears about this, next thing you know, the State Department is going to get involved in this and then we'll be shut out from the case."

"I've already promised the chief and the Diplomatic Security Service that I'll ensure the safety of the prince, Buck." Charlie said. "There's no way I'm gonna rest until we find the prince."

"You'd better!" said the sergeant. "Cause if you don't find him, we're doomed and the whole world is destroyed!"

At that same time, Henry, Stanley, and their friends overheard the whole thing.

"Wham bam! Pop's in a jam." said Stanley.

"The whole world will be if we don't find that prince." Henry added. "Come on!"

The boys then approached their father.

"Pop!" Stanley said once the sergeant had left the room.

Charlie turned around. "Henry, Stanley, what are you doing here?"

"We've come to help you." Henry replied.

"Help?" asked Charlie.

"You heard us." Stanley said.

"Well, how exactly can you guys help?" Charlie asked.

Henry explained. "We can try looking in the places that Hareem and Suzie went yesterday and find out if anyone suspicious was there, and they could possibly be the guy who snatched Hareem."

Charlie raised an eyebrow at the suggestion, but then he nodded.

"Okay, I'll let you boys help, and your friends can tag along." He said.

"Hoo-wee!" Tinker cheered. "We are going to help out Charlie Chan!"

"You can count on us, pop." Stanley said.

"Especially your number one son." Henry boasted.

"It'll be better if we stop wasting time here and get on with the case." Charlie said before Stanley had a chance to object.

"Got it!" Stanley gave a thumbs up. "Come gang! We've got a mystery to solve!"

Charlie and the kids headed out of the station and went on their investigation.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **The mystery has begun! Where is the prince? And will he be back in time for the race? Stay tuned for more developments.**


	4. The Plot Thickens

A short while later, the adults were back at the Chan residence.

"Okay everyone, let's get right to investigating." said Charlie.

"What should we start with, pop?" asked Stanley.

"Well, for starters, we should see if the person responsible for the disappearance left behind a clue around here." Charlie said.

"I suggest we first check where the prince was sleeping." Debbie said. "Maybe a clue might be there."

"Like a teddy bear or snuggly baby blanket?" asked Stanley.

"Anything that can help us figure out where the prince could be." Charlie sighed. "Let's get moving."

The adults then went upstairs to look for clues.

* * *

Meanwhile, Suzie, Alan, Annie, and Tom made it to their house.

"Here we are gang! Home sweet home!" said Suzie.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" Alan asked as they entered the house.

"We're looking for clues that could potentially lead us to the prince." Suzie explained.

Annie saw Speedy parked in front of the house. "But by the looks of it, I don't think we've been beaten to it. Anywhere else we can search?"

"How about we search around the placed you've brought the prince to yesterday?" Tom suggested.

"That's a great idea, Tom!" said Annie. "So Suzie, where exactly did you two go last night?"

"It will certainly help us more." Alan added as they noted the uncertain look on Suzie's face.

Suzie thought. "Well, we went to eat pizza, ice cream, and we took a nice long walk on the beach. It was so romantic. Just looking into his beautiful brown eyes and I knew that he and I were perfect for each other. He's so dreamy and angelic and perfect and makes me wanna..."

"Oh no!" Alan gagged. "That's enough! Too much information!"

"Where exactly did you guys had pizza and ice cream?" Annie pressed.

"We had pizza at the Pizza Shack and we had ice cream at that Terrible Humor place." Suzie replied. "I think somebody must've seen us there."

"Well, hopefully those places will provide us an answer." Annie said. "Let's go!"

The teens then ran towards the pizza shop.

* * *

Back at the race track, the kids were eavesdropping on their prime suspect, I.Q. Ickly.

"There is gang." said Flip. "Our culprit!"

"But what would I.Q. want with the prince?" asked Nancy. "He's just a little boy."

"Money, I suppose." Flip shrugged. "After all, his family needs money for all those gadgets."

"Of course!" Scooter snapped his fingers. "It's the old case of the boy geniuses! Let's get him boys!"

"Ahem!" Mimi and Nancy placed their hands on their hips.

"...and girls." Scooter chuckled. "Let's get I.Q!"

The kids then ran to I.Q. to interrogate him.

At that same time, I.Q and his mother were closely-examining their car.

"Mother, can we please take a break?" I.Q. asked his mother. "I think the vehicle is all set and ready!"

"Darling, you know we have to make sure the car will not gain sentience and try to take over the world like most of our other inventions." said Ivana. "Besides, mommy wants to make sure her widdle man is going to win that trophy for her."

"Oh, come on, Mom..." I.Q. groaned as his cheeks started to burn.

"Okay sweetie, mommy's going to powder her nose for a bit, but stay here and continue to fix the car, okay?" Ivana told her son.

"Yes mother." I.Q. nodded.

"Good. Now give mommy a kiss." Ivana batted her eyelashes.

I.Q. groaned and the nearby Chan kids, upon seeing the scene, immediately ducked behind a nearby cart.

"Okay as soon as his mother leaves, we jump him and make him talk..." Flip whispered to his siblings.

Nancy, Mimi, and Scooter nodded their heads and gave a thumbs up.

After I.Q. kissed his mother, she left to go powder her nose. The boy genius then wiped his mother's lipstick off his mouth and started to work on his car.

As he worked on his car, he didn't notice the younger Chan siblings sneaking up on him.

Flip whispered. "Okay...ready? Three...two...one..."

The four Chan Kids then dog-piled right on I.Q. and attacked him.

"Hey!" I.Q. exclaimed as the Chan kids jumped him. "What's the big idea?"

The kids then duct-taped I.Q. to a chair and were ready to interrogate him.

"What's going on here? Let me go!" demanded I.Q.

"I don't think so, Ickly." Flip said. "We'd like to have a little word with you before we can do that!"

"Where is he?" Scooter barked at the boy.

"What're you talking about?" I.Q. asked, annoyed.

"You know what we're talking about." Nancy deadpanned. "The missing prince you kidnapped!"

"I didn't kidnap the prince! Honest!" I.Q. insisted.

"Yeah right, momma's boy!" Mimi sarcastically said. "If you're not going to talk, we're gonna have to make you do it!"

"What're you gonna do? Make my beakers and test tubes explode?" I.Q. asked.

"Nope." Flip shook his head. "Worse."

"And what will that be?" I.Q. deadpanned.

"Oh Mimi..." Flip sang to his kid sister.

"Yes big brother?" Mimi replied.

"Why don't you give I.Q. lots and lots of kisses?" Flip smirked.

"I'd love to." Mimi batted her eyelashes.

I.Q. gasped. "No, not that! Anything but that! Not...girl germs!"

"Then tell us about the whereabouts of the prince." Nancy folded her arms.

"I told you, I'm innocent!" I.Q. begged.

"Then, you leave us no choice..." Flip folded his arms. "Get him, sis!"

I.Q. gasped. "No! No! No..."

Mimi jumped on I.Q's tied up lap and started kissing his entire face, much to his horror.

It was then that I.Q.'s mother returned.

"Precious...I'm back..." she sang, then saw Mimi kissing I.Q. and gasped. "Ivan Quincy Ickly! What do you think you're doing? Get away from that girl! You don't know where she's been!"

"I will like to, Mom!" I.Q. complained. "However, she and her siblings jumped me and tied me up right here!"

Ivana ran over, threw Mimi off the chair, and untied I.Q.

"Ivan, my sweet baby!" she cooed as she snuggled her son. "Oh mommy was so worried! Did that mean girl hurt you?"

"She and her siblings were going to if you haven't came back." I.Q. said.

"So what happened?" Ivana asked in concern before turning to Mimi and added, "What's the big idea?"

"Well, I was minding my own business when she and her siblings jumped me with no provocation at all." I.Q. explained. "Then, they begin to demand that I tell them where the missing prince is at."

"What?" Ivana gasped.

"Your son stole the missing prince because he's afraid of losing the race and shaming you!" Scooter explained. "He's the kidnapper! Ground him for life! Take away his desserts and TV privileges!"

A minute went by before Ivana burst into laughter, and the Chan siblings looked at her in confusion.

"What's so funny?" Flip asked.

"Yeah! In case you didn't notice, your son is a complete and total prince-napper!" Scooter added.

"And what makes you think my dear Ivan would do such a thing?" Ivana asked.

"Because he's afraid of losing to our brothers and disappointing you!" Flip replied.

Ivana snorted and still laughed. "Win or lose, it doesn't matter much to me. It's hard work getting into this final race, so even if we end up in second or third place, I'll still be proud of my dear Ivan for being able to make it this far into the tournament."

"And just who do you guys think you are?" I.Q snapped at the siblings. "Nothing more than a bunch of self-serving bullies who don't know a thing on detective work!"

"We are the Chan Clan, the world's greatest junior detectives." Scooter retorted.

"Well if you ask me you're pretty bad ones." I.Q. glared at them. "You can't accuse me of stealing the prince without any leads or evidence! That's not how it works!"

"Either way, we should get back to checking our car." Ivana said. "Now be off with the all of you and stop wasting our time! And whoever your parents are, I need to have a good talk with them."

"Yes Mrs. Ickly..." the kids groaned.

Ivana untied her son and they went back to fixing up the car.

"I guess I.Q. didn't do it." Nancy said.

"But who else could've done it?" Mimi asked. "It could be anyone in this whole stadium."

"Well, one thing I hope is that the others are having better luck in getting to the bottom of this than us." Scooter said.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **And let's find out what the others are up to in the next chapter. Coming soon.**


	5. The Plot Thickens More

Meanwhile back at the house, the adults searched upstairs for some possible clues or leads.

"Anything of interest, bro?" Henry asked Stanley as they looked around.

"All I see is his suitcase." Stanley said as he looked inside of the prince's suitcase.

"And all I got is this strange note." Tinker added.

"Strange?" Debbie asked. "Like how?"

"I think it says something about the prince and where he might be." Tinker explained. "I really can't see the print too well without my reading glasses."

Henry grabbed the note. "The prince? Let me see!"

Grabbing the note, Henry then take a good look as he read the contents. "To the king and queen, I have taken Prince Jogia and am currently holding him hostage. If you ever want to see him again for the sake of your country, you will meet my demands. I am at 666 Beretta Way. Come there at 5:00 sharp, and if you don't, you will never see him again! Signed, anonymous."

"Wham bam! Looks like we've found the culprit." said Stanley.

"Come on! We've gotta tell your dad!" Debbie said. "He'll know what to do!"

"Right, let's go!" Mark urged.

They went downstairs and found Charlie on the couch.

"Pop! Pop! We have some big news!" Stanley said as they got downstairs. "We have found out where the culprit is!"

"You have?" Charlie asked his son.

"Read this!" Henry handed Charlie the note.

Charlie took the note from his eldest son and read through it closely, then his eyes narrowed before he looked up at the sleuths.

"I see the note, but I am a little suspicious about this." He said.

"What do you mean, pop?" asked Stanley.

"I mean, the culprit didn't exactly say what his demands were, and how could he have gotten into the house without us knowing?" Charlie explained. "It seems a bit strange to me."

"Could that mean that this disappearance was nothing more than an inside job, Detective?" Mark asked.

"It would seem that way, yes." Charlie responded.

"So what do we do?" asked Debbie.

"We better speak with the royal advisor again." Henry offered. "Because chances are, the prince's disappearance may have something to do with a recent royal scandal back in Hareem's home country that was all over the news."

"Right!" Henry nodded. "Come on gang!"

They all ran outside of the house and hopped onto Speed Buggy.

"Sp-sp-sp-Finally, it was getting hot out here." Speedy said. "Where to boys?"

"Back to the stadium, Speedy." Henry said. "We're going to have another word with the royal adviser."

"Sp-pu-pu-pu-You got it!" Speedy saluted. "So-sp-sp-Zoom!"

Speedy zoomed to the stadium.

* * *

Meanwhile, the teenagers had finished checking all the places that Suzie and Hareem had been the other night.

"Anything of interest?" Tom asked as he searched one corner of the ice cream stand.

"Well I could really like a vanilla cone right now." said Annie. "I am pretty hot from all this walking."

"No, I mean did you guys find any clues?" Tom clarified.

"Oh, that." Annie said. "I don't see anything suspicious around here."

"Suzie and I haven't found anything suspicious either." Alan added. "This is hopeless..."

"Oh, this is just great." Tom sighed.

"Guess we had better get back to the stadium." Suzie groaned. "Come on guys..."

The other siblings all nodded before they proceeded to follow Suzie's lead.

They arrived at the stadium just in time to see their father talking with Dr. Ivana.

"Of course, Dr. Ickly." Charlie was saying. "I'll look into it."

"Thank you, Mr. Chan." She said. "I'd sure hate to see your kids try to hurt my baby again."

Charlie walked over to the kids to give them a good talking.

Seeing the anger on their father's face, the youngest siblings swallowed.

"Uh oh." Flip remarked as their father walked to them.

"Oh...uh...hey pop..." Scooter nervously chuckled. "...wh-what's happening?"

"I'll tell you kids what's happened once you explain to me why did you beat up and tapped up Dr. Ickly's son!" Charlie said sternly.

Watching their younger siblings about to receive an earful from their father, Suzie turned to the older siblings.

"Gee, Pop looks pretty angry with Flip and the others." She said.

"Yeah, I know." Alan added. "I sure hope they didn't do anything awful."

* * *

Meanwhile, Henry, Stanley and the others were still thinking about the note.

"Guys, I'm not too sure about this note." Debbie said as she read it. "I mean, there's nothing in here that says what the kidnapper wants, and how could he have gotten into your house?"

"Yeah." Mark agreed. "And not to mention that we haven't seen the royal advisor since we got here."

"Now I may be a pit as paranoid a mouse in a cheese factory, but I'm starting to wonder if that royal advisor man had anything to do with Hareem's disappearance." said Tinker.

Mark, Debbie, Henry and Stanley all arched their eyebrows after he made the remark.

"It means that I think the advisor might have stolen the prince." Tinker clarified.

"Oh..." the adults nodded, now understanding.

"In that case, where do you suppose he's keeping the prince?" Henry asked.

"And why?" Debbie added.

"Good question..." said Stanley. "That is something we will have to think over in the next chapter!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well folks, the mystery is almost up and now, we've gotta get to the next chapter to find out what that advisor might really be up to. Stay tuned!**

 **By the way, I am aware that I.Q's mother's real name is Suzie Q, but I only changed it because it would cause confusion, since Suzie's middle name starts with 'Q.'**


	6. The Mystery is Solved

It didn't take long before Charlie finished giving the youngest kids a stern lecture.

"...now do you see what happens when you jump to conclusions and not have any facts?" Charlie finished.

"Yes sir..." said the kids.

"Now go apologize to Mrs. Ickly's son!" Charlie ordered. "As a wise man once said, better safe than sorry."

"Sure thing, Dad..." The kids grumbled before they turned and left to find I.Q.

Charlie then turned to the older kids as they gathered together with several questions in mind.

"Pop! We need to ask you something!" said Henry. "Has the advisor come back?"

"No I don't think he has." said Charlie. "Why?"

"I believe he was involved in the prince's disappearance." Tinker said.

"What makes you say that?" asked Charlie. "Do you have any proof?"

"No." Tinker admitted. "But how else would you explain the royal advisor's absence?"

"I assumed he was with the prince's parents." Charlie said.

"But isn't the prince the only one in the royal family that is on this visit?" Mark asked.

"Yeah, I thought the king and queen are back in their country." Debbie added.

"So do I, but he told me earlier that he was going to see them." Charlie told them. "He didn't specify where."

"Do any of the other royal council members know about this?" asked Stanley.

"I don't know." said Charlie. "We'd better consult them."

"Then, we better go find the other members of the royal council." Henry suggested.

While they went to see the other members, the kids walked over to I.Q. to apologize.

I.Q. was wiping the windshield of his race car when he looked up and saw the youngest Chan siblings walking towards him.

"Oh, it's you again..." He said bitterly. "What are you gonna do now? Draw on my face?"

"No." Scooter shook his head.

"Then what are you guys here for?" I.Q. asked as he folded his arms. "Asking me about the missing prince again?"

"I.Q, we're really sorry for how we treated you." said Flip.

"Yeah, we didn't mean any harm." Nancy added.

"I guess we really lost our heads in trying to solve the mystery." Mimi said. "Can you find in your geeky genius heart to forgive us?"

I.Q. narrowed his eyes.

"Oh alright..." He groaned. "I forgive you. But only because my mother doesn't want me holding a grudge before the race."

"Oh thank you, I.Q! We'll never be mean to you again!" Mimi said before giving I.Q. a quick kiss on the lips.

The moment she finished the kiss, I.Q. groaned again as he rushed over to wash his face.

"At least we now have that out of the way." Nancy said as they watched I.Q. wash his face. "Now let's go join Pop and the others."

At that same time, Charlie and the others met up with the royal council.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Chan." said the royal record keeper. "The king and queen are still on their way to the island. They're not supposed to land for hours."

"Then, I have reason to believe that the royal advisor is responsible for the disappearance." Charlie said.

"What do you mean?" The record keeper raised an eyebrow.

Charlie handed him the note. "Maybe this will answer your question..."

The royal records keeper put on his reading glasses before taking a look at the note.

As soon as he finished reading, he said one thing, "Get in the limo."

The royal council and the Chan Clan headed into the limo and drove right to the police station. Henry and Stanley went with their friends in Speedy.

* * *

Soon, at the police station, the group met up with each other.

"Rosemary! Is Sgt. Flint here? I need to speak with him!" Charlie said in a panic.

"Sure Charlie, he's in his office." Rosemary said as she typed on her computer. "Just wait over there and I'll call him."

"There is no time! This is an international crisis!" said the royal record keeper.

Rosemary paused her lips as she reached to the phone and dialed a number before placing the earpiece in the phone's handset by her ear.

"Sarge, please come to front desk, it's a Code 456." She said as she spoke into the headset.

There was a brief pause from the other end, and then the sergeant drew in a breath.

"I'll be right over." He responded.

In just a millisecond, he arrived with several of his best officers.

"Alright Chan, what is it?!" Flint sternly demanded.

"It is our belief that the prince's disappearance was an inside job by someone within the royal council." Charlie said as the record keeper nodded in agreement.

"Inside job, huh?" Flint raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you all think this to be the case?"

"First, take a look at this note that was found at the Chan residence." The record keeper said as he handed Flint the note.

Flint read the note. "Yeah...yep...I see...but how do you know this note is real? It could be a forgery, a practical joke!"

"Exactly." The record keeper nodded.

"I am not sure, but I think we may have a chance of finding the prince there." said Charlie.

"Well, in that case, you guys should get moving before the prince gets harmed." Flint said.

Charlie turned to the kids. "Kids, you'd better go home. It's not safe out here. Stay inside at all costs until we get back."

"Uh...what?" Tinker asked.

"I believe my father said that we should go home." Henry said.

"I know he means that we should go home." Tinker said. "But why?"

"He thinks it could too dangerous, Tinker." Mark said. "And frankly, I actually agree with him. We don't know anything about stopping crooks or rescuing royalty. Maybe we should just stay at Henry and Stanley's place until the heat dies down."

"Yeah, okay then." Tinker shrugged.

The kids then all went home while the adults headed to the address on the note.

* * *

It didn't take long for the adults to arrive at the address on the note.

"You sure this is the place?" Flint asked Charlie.

Charlie looked at the ransom note. "Yes. This is the place."

"Then, let's move in." Flint said. "The prince could be in great danger."

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Charlie nodded as they got off the car.

They both got out of the car as the other cars surrounded the place.

"Kidnapper! Come out with your hands up!" Flint spoke into a megaphone. "We have the place surrounded! Surrender the prince at once!"

As Flint spoke into the megaphone, several police officers accompanying the trio emerged from their vehicles with their weapons drawn.

There was much silence as they waited.

"It's too quiet in there." Flint whispered.

"Yeah." Charlie nodded. "One of these instances of a calm before the storm."

Just then, the authorities heard some noise coming from inside the building.

"Hold your aim, men, someone's coming..." Flint whispered.

The steps got louder, until someone finally came at the door.

The officers all gripped their weapons as the door opened.

"Show yourself!" One of the officers barked.

The door slowly opened to reveal none other than...

"Lord Benson!" Charlie exclaimed. I should've guessed!"

"Who on Earth is that?" Flint asked Charlie.

"The royal councilman." said Charlie.

Seeing the record keeper accompanying the officers, Lord Benson raised his hands as he said, "This isn't what it looks like!"

"Oh, is that right?" The record keeper narrowed his eyes. "Where is His Royal Highness, Cyrus?"

"He's inside, but I must warn you, it is not a pretty sight!" said Benson.

"I don't care if it's all sunshine and rainbows!" Flint barked. "You'd better hand over that prince or else!"

"What did you do to him?" The record keeper demanded as the officers moved in.

"I have done nothing, but this guy has, it's someone you know rather well..." said Benson.

Cyrus snapped his fingers and there was the royal advisor with the prince all tied up and gagged.

"The royal advisor! I knew it!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Au contrare, Mr. Chan, he is not the royal advisor, he works for me." Cyrus corrected Benson.

"What are you talking about?" asked Flint.

"Yeah, can you tell us what on earth is going on here?!" Charlie added.

"Don't you get it, you idiot?!" snapped Benson. "I kidnapped the royal advisor and disguised this guy as him to give me information on all of you so I could get to the prince and cause an international crisis! Thereby, plunging the royal family and all royal families into chaos!"

"But why did you do it, sir?" asked the record keeper. "What did we ever do to you?"

"Let's just say that the recent reforms initiated by the king were nothing other than a political witch hunt meant to shut us down." Benson replied nonchalantly. "Those reforms were taking money out of my pocket and are hurting the oil and gas industries of which several others and I have received donations from, and I simply cannot allow the king to get away with it."

"Those 'donations' you speak of were nothing other than funds for questionable research to discredit those engaged in the fight against climate change." The record keeper snapped. "You of all people should know that climate change is going to severely impact our way of life, not to mention that we still have a lot of poverty in the country."

"You had better hand over the prince, because you are going to spend the rest of your life behind bars!" Charlie sternly said.

"I'll hand over the prince, as soon as the king and queen come here to meet my demands!" Benson barked.

"Then, you're going to be disappointed." Flint responded.

"How so?" Benson asked.

"Cause they're not coming for hours, but you are outta here!" Flint said as he took out a walkie talkie. "Get him boys!"

Outside, some police copters hovered above the building with some other cop cars surrounding the place.

"Put your hands up in the air where we can see 'em!" One of the cops shouted as they all readied their weapons.

Benson and his goon put their hands up and the cops then arrested them.

"I would've gotten away with it, if it wasn't for that pig, Charlie Chan!" Benson growled. "I'll get you punk!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you'll be coming for me soon." Charlie said nonchalantly. "Take 'em away, boys!"

The cops then took Cyrus and his accomplice to jail.

Charlie then untied the prince. "Well, now that the prince is safe, we can finally do the race."

* * *

The very next day, the race finally went on as planned. Charlie and his kids were sitting in the V.I.P seats with the royal family.

"I wonder how are our brothers gonna fare in the race." Suzie remarked.

"Well, there is only one more lap left in the race, and it would seem that the Icklys and Speedy are both the fastest ones out of all three." Tom said. "It could be one or the other."

Down at the race track, Dastardly and Mutterly were finding themselves to be having significant trouble catching up with Speedy and I.Q.

"We'll never catch up to those guys in time!" Dastardly growled. "Muttley! Activate the rockets!"

Muttley snickered and pressed a big red button on the control panel, which caused some large booster rockets to emerge from the sides of the Mean Machine, making them go right ahead of the other racers.

Speedy was comfortably speeding ahead of I.Q. when the rocket zoomed by.

"You're doing amazing Speedy, now increase velocity so we can win that trophy!" Mark told the car.

"Sp-sp-sp-Sooner done than said!" Speedy said as he increased his velocity and caught up to the Mean Machine.

"Mother! We're dead last!" I.Q. gasped. "Quick! Activate the turbo boosters!"

"Of course, dear." Ivana said as she pressed the button. "Don't want my dear boy to end up dead last in this race, especially when the Mean Machine is piloted by someone that doesn't have sportsmanship!"

Ivana then pressed a red button on the control panel and they zoomed right towards the other racers.

In the booths, the announcers were more than overcome with excitement for the results.

"Oh my goodness! The racers are neck to neck to neck, and with only one turn to go!" said Segal.

"Hot diggety!" Bob cheered. "These cars look like they are in danger of exploding if they got too close each other. Normally, I would be concerned, but I'm too excited to even care! Who's gonna win?"

With the camera zoomed onto Speedy, Bob asked, "Is it going to be Speed Buggy?"

The scene then shifted to I.Q. and his mother before Bob added, "Or is it going to be I.Q.?"

And finally, with the scene shifted to the Mean Machine, Bob continued, "Or is it going to be the Mean Machine?"

"We're almost there, mother!" I.Q. pointed to the impending finish line. "We're going to win at last!"

"Speedy, you gotta accelerate more!" Mark said to his car. "We are almost at the finish line!"

Dastardly growled. "I am not going to lose to some corrosive Cooper and a pint-sized pipsqueak! Muttley! We are going to play dirty!"

Muttley snickered again as Dastardly jerked the steering wheel to the right, intending to bump right into Speedy and I.Q.

However, the two racers had anticipated the Mean Machine to make such a move, and the drivers slammed on their brakes, leading to the Mean Machine to swerve out of the track and crash into the nearby wall.

"Muttley this is all your fault!" Dastardly shouted as he bonked Muttley on the head.

Just then, the Mean Machine blew up, causing the two racers flew into the air and landed right on the Gravitron. This caused the car to land right onto Speed Buggy and all of a sudden, there was a huge explosion.

The crowd all flinched as the three vehicles blew up right before their eyes.

"Boys!" Charlie gasped in fear.

* * *

 **Auhtor's Note:**

 **Jeepers! That got dark real quick! What of the racers? Are they okay? Who will win? Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion!**


	7. Race Epilogue

There was silence from the stands as the smoke began to clear.

Nobody knew what to expect, but then all of a sudden, something came falling from the sky.

"Look! Up in the sky!" Debbie pointed to seven mysterious figures falling from the sky.

Everyone looked up towards where Debbie was pointing towards.

Suddenly, the figures got closer and closer to the ground. The figures were Henry, Stanley, Mark, Dastardly, I.Q., and Ivana falling from the explosion and right towards the edge of the finish line.

"Whoa!" Alan exclaimed as they all stood up.

"Holy cow!" Flip exclaimed.

The racers landed half an inch away from the finish line. They all weakly stretched their arms to touch the line and win.

Everyone leaned forward from their seats as the racers tried to touch the finish line.

The racers stretched their fingers longer until finally, Stanley managed to touch the finish line with his index finger.

"It looks like we've got a winner!" Segal shouted as Stanley managed to later drag himself across the finish line after touching it with his index finger.

Tons of confetti blew out of the cannons on the flagpole and the crowd went wild for the new champion.

"Noooo!" Dastardly shouted. "Muttley, this is all your fault!"

Dastardly angrily bonked his dog on the head.

"No fair! No fair!" I.Q. whined. "I was gonna be the new champion. I used math, logic, everything! It's not fair!"

I.Q. pounded his fists on the concrete and started crying like a baby.

"Woohoo!" Tinker shouted as everyone in the stands stood up. "We've won!"

"We did it! We did it!" Mark cheered. "Alright!"

"Congratulations boys!" Debbie said as she ran up to the guys and hugged them. "We've won!"

"All thanks to my chuckleheaded brother." Henry said as he gave Stanley a noogie.

"Wow!" Suzie said as they all cheered from the stands. "I sure can't believe it!"

"Just goes to show how amazing we Chan's are!" Flip boasted.

"Oh yup." Alan agreed.

"Congrats to our new Wacky Race champions!" Reginald said as he handed the championship trophy to the gang. "We certainly enjoyed having you here, and we hope you come with new surprises for next season!"

"We sure will, Reginald." Henry nodded.

However, Tinker just remembered something important.

"Speedy!" He gasped as he ran over to his fallen dune buggy's remains.

Sharing looks with each other, Mark, Debbie, Henry and Stanley quickly rushed over to join Tinker.

They stared sadly at the remains of their fallen friend and there was a large silence as the audience left to go home.

* * *

Later that night, Henry, Stanley, Mark, Debbie, Tinker, and Dr. Quest went back to the garage to give their mechanical friend a proper funeral.

"Man oh man." Dr. Quest remarked.

"We're all gathered here today to say goodbye to a beloved friend..." said Stanley. "Does anybody have any words to say about our dear Speed Buggy?"!

"How about you go first, Doc?" Henry asked as he turned to Dr. Quest.

Just as Dr. Quest was about to speak, Tinker interrupted him.

He cleared his throat. "Speed Buggy was more than just a talking car, he was like a brother to me. A brother that I never had, a brother I could've spent my life with, but all because of that stupid race, that will never come to be..."

"Uh Tinker?" Dr. Quest tried to speak.

"...Speedy and I had great times together, we could drive on the open road and talk all day..." Tinker continued. "But that will never happen. Speed Buggy, I am and will always be...your friend!"

Tinker threw himself down on the ground and started to sob his eyes out.

"Tinker..." Dr. Quest tried to talk again.

"What is it now, Doc?" Tinker finally turned to Dr. Quest.

"Well, I was able to tap into Speedy's remains and found his memory chip inside. I should have him rebooted in no time." Dr. Quest explain.

"Well why didn't you say that? Get right to it!" Tinker demanded.

"I would've if you didn't interrupt me." Dr. Quest shrugged.

"I was burying my soul." Tinker folded his arms. "Now please to get to fixing our car. We have to have it ready for next season!"

Dr. Quest sighed and started to work on rebuilding the car.

* * *

Meanwhile, Suzie and the prince were standing beside the beach stargazing together.

"Wow, Hawaii sure is lovely at nighttime." said Hareem.

"Yeah, too bad you'll have to go home tomorrow morning." Suzie said.

"I know." Hareem frowned. "Which is unfortunate, considering what happened yesterday."

"Guess we won't really see each other again, huh?" Suzie sighed.

"Maybe we don't have to be apart forever." said Hareem.

"What do you mean?" asked Suzie.

"Maybe you can...I don't know...come to my country with me...perhaps?" Hareem offered.

"You mean like, for a visit?" Suzie questioned.

"No silly, I mean I want you to come live with me and my family at the palace." Hareem explained. "You'd love it there, Suzie. People will cater to you day and night. You'll be a princess, immortalized in paintings that depict you in the finest clothes and jewelry, loved and respected by subjects and peasants alike."

"Oh, that." Suzie nodded thoughtfully.

"So, will you come back with me?" The prince asked hopefully.

Suzie sighed as she turned towards the sea, then she turned back to the prince.

"I honestly don't know." She admitted. "I mean, you're a great guy, Hareem, and I'd like to spend time with you. However, I have a family that I only recently started to know of."

"But don't you want to be a princess and get married?" Hareem asked.

"I guess, but I can't leave my brothers and sisters behind, they need me to take care of them." Suzie said. "Spending time with you has been great, but for now, my place is here on the island with my family."

Hareem paused his lips before he nodded thoughtfully. "I understand."

"I'm glad you do." Suzie have Hareem a kiss on the cheek, which she then caressed. "But, that doesn't mean we can't enjoy these last few hours we have together..."

"I suppose so..." Hareem nodded.

Suzie and the prince wrapped their arms around each other and were about to kiss, when all of a sudden...

"Sorry folks, this is private!" She said as she turned towards the fourth wall.

 **THE END!**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well folks, here comes the end to another mystery. Somehow, I don't think this is the last we have seen of Prince Hareem. But for now, let's go back to Crystal Cove and see how Jabberjaw and his Neptunes are doing. After that, we have a big surprise for you!**


End file.
